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A 12×16 lean-to shed material list on skids comes to 55 2×4 framing boards, 19 plain 2x6s (17 are 14 ft rafter stock) and 15 treated 2x6s. Sheets: 6 floor plywood, 9 OSB and 16 T1-11, plus 9 shingle bundles. That assumes an 80 in back wall, a 115 1/8 in front wall and a 3/12 roof.

Every number on this page comes from the 3DSHEDPLANS plan generator. Each stud and rafter length is checked against the roof line, and boards are counted by the stock length you buy. A 12×16 lean-to has no ridge and no gable triangles, but each side wall has 10 studs of 10 different lengths. This list is for a freestanding shed, not one attached to a house.

What this 12×16 lean-to list assumes

This list is for a shed 12 ft deep and 16 ft wide, with 192 sq ft of floor. The roof slopes front to back, so the 16 ft front wall with the door is the tall one. These are its settings:

  • Walls: the back (low) wall is 80 in tall and the front (high) wall is 115 1/8 in, both including the bottom plate and double top plate. Back studs are 6′ 3 1/2″ and front studs 9′ 2 5/8″.
  • Roof: 3/12 pitch (about 14 degrees), 2×6 rafters with a birdsmouth on both walls, 8 in overhangs front and back, 4 in rakes. The roof is 200 in long by about 165 in down the slope, roughly 229 sq ft.
  • Spacing: studs, floor joists and rafters at 16 in on center.
  • Floor: four pressure-treated 4×4 skids on a crushed stone pad, 2×6 joists across the 12 ft depth, 3/4 in tongue and groove plywood.
  • Loads: the 2×6 rafters span 137 in against a 143 in limit (SPF #2 at 16 in, 30 psf ground snow). That is close, so in heavier snow country check your local permit office for your snow load before you buy rafter stock.
  • Openings: a 60 in double door in the front wall and one 36 x 36 in window in the back wall.

Shopping list by stage: the full 12×16 lean-to shed material list

Lumber sizes are nominal. A 2×4 measures about 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 in and a 2×6 about 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 in, as the American Wood Council explains. Check the grade stamp on plywood and OSB; the APA trademark guide shows how to read it.

Floor

Item Qty Used for
Pressure-treated 4×4 x 16 ft 4 Skids
Pressure-treated 2×6 x 16 ft 2 Rim joists
Pressure-treated 2×6 x 12 ft 13 Floor joists
3/4 in T&G plywood, 4×8 sheet 6 Floor decking
Crushed stone 3/4 in, loose 3.8 cu yd Gravel pad
Deck screws 2 in (or 6d ring-shank nails) 5 lb Decking

Walls

Item Qty Used for
2×4 x 8 ft 13 Shorter side-wall studs, back sill, front cripples, lookout blocks
2×4 x 10 ft 23 Front wall studs, taller side-wall studs, back lower cripples
2×4 x 12 ft 5 Side-wall bottom plates, sloped top plates, back window trimmers
2×4 x 14 ft 8 Back wall studs (two per board), front door trimmers
2×4 x 16 ft 6 Front and back wall plates and cap plates
2×8 x 12 ft 1 Door header
2×6 x 8 ft 2 Window header, some rafter blocking
Strap ties (twist straps) 4 Lean-to wall corners
Temporary braces 2×4 x 12 ft 8 Wall bracing, reused later
2×4 stakes, 24 in 8 Brace stakes, from offcuts or 2 extra 2×4 x 8 ft

The two header filler strips of 1/2 in plywood are ripped from the soffit sheet, so buy that sheet with the wall lumber. Add the 8 braces and the truck carries 63 2x4s, plus 2 more if you buy boards for the stakes.

Roof

Item Qty Used for
2×6 x 14 ft, SPF #2 or better 17 13 rafters, 2 fly rafters and most of the blocking
Hurricane ties, H2.5A type or equal 26 Rafter to plate, both walls
7/16 in OSB, 4×8 sheet 9 Roof sheathing
15 lb felt, 400 sq ft roll 2 Underlayment, laid double below 4/12
3-tab shingles, 26 per bundle 9 bundles Roof and starter course
Drip edge, 10 ft 7 Eaves and rakes
Roofing nails 1 1/4 in galvanized 8 lb Shingles
Roofing cap nails 1 in 2 lb Felt
Roofing cement, 10 oz tube 2 Roofing

Siding and trim

Item Qty Used for
5/8 in T1-11, 4×10 sheet 4 Front (high) wall
5/8 in T1-11, 4×8 sheet 4 Back (low) wall
5/8 in T1-11, 4×10 / 4×9 / 4×8 sheet 2 / 2 / 2 Sloped side walls
5/8 in T1-11, 4×8 sheet 2 Door leaves (one per leaf)
1/2 in plywood, 4×8 sheet 1 Eave soffit and header fillers
1×8 x 16 ft 2 Rake fascia
1×8 x 10 ft and 1×8 x 8 ft 2 each Eave fascia (one of each per eave)
1×4 x 14 ft 6 Back corner trim, door casing sides, stiles, Z braces
1×4 x 12 ft 1 Door rails
1×4 x 10 ft 4 Front corner trim
1×4 x 8 ft 3 Door head casing, window casing
1×2 x 8 ft 2 Door stop and astragal
Drip cap, 10 ft 1 Over the door and window head casings
Insect screen, 2 ft x 25 ft 1 roll Gaps at the eaves and soffit
Exterior paint and primer in one 5 gal Two coats, about 620 sq ft each
Exterior caulk 3 tubes Trim

Hardware and window

Item Qty
Framing nails 3 1/2 in (16d), hot-dip galvanized 25 lb
Siding nails 2 1/2 in (8d), hot-dip galvanized 16 lb
Sheathing nails 2 1/2 in (8d) for OSB 8 lb
Connector nails 1 1/2 in for ties and straps 2 lb
Construction adhesive, 10 oz tube 9
T-strap door hinges 6
Door handle and latch set 1
Barrel bolts for the fixed leaf 2
Exterior screws 1 1/4 in (door frame to T1-11) 1 lb
Exterior screws 2 1/2 in (hinge straps into framing) 1 box
Prefabricated window, 36 x 36 in rough opening 1
Flashing tape 4 in 1 roll
Wood shims 1 bundle

Cut list highlights

Most of the 12×16 lean-to cut list is square cuts: 12 front studs at 9′ 2 5/8″, 14 back studs at 6′ 3 1/2″, 13 floor joists at 11′ 9″ and four skids at 16′ 0″. The parts below carry angles or a different length every time, so a layout error repeats or one wrong cut costs a long board. Dry-fit the first of each part on your own frame before cutting the rest.

Part Lumber Cut length Qty
Rafter (board length) 2×6 13′ 10 1/4″ 13
Fly rafter (rake) 2×6 13′ 10 1/4″ 2
Side wall sloped top plate 2×4 11′ 9 1/4″ 2
Side wall bottom plate 2×4 11′ 4 7/8″ 2
Left wall studs 2×4 6′ 5 3/8″ to 9′ 3 1/4″ 10, all different
Right wall studs 2×4 9′ 3 1/4″ down to 6′ 5 3/8″ 10, all different
Door header (2×8 doubled + 1/2 ply) 2×8 5′ 3″ 2
Door trimmer 2×4 6′ 4 1/2″ 2
Cripple over the door 2×4 2′ 2 7/8″ 3
Window header (2×6 doubled + 1/2 ply) 2×6 3′ 3″ 2
Window trimmer 2×4 5′ 10″ 2
Blocking between rafters 2×6 1′ 1 3/4″ and 1′ 2 1/2″ 4 and 20
Lookout block (rake overhang) 2×4 2 1/2″ 16
Eave fascia 1×8 16′ 8″ 2
Rake fascia (tip to tip) 1×8 14′ 0 1/4″ 2

Rafters. The 13′ 10 1/4″ figure is the board each rafter needs, measured corner to corner. Along the top edge it is about 13′ 8 15/16″, including both 8 in overhangs. Plumb cuts are at about 14 degrees (3/12).

Each rafter gets two birdsmouths, one on each wall, with a 3 1/2 in seat that notches under 1 in into the 2×6, well under a third of the rafter depth, the usual rule of thumb. Cut one pattern rafter, test it on both walls, then trace the other 12. The 2 fly rafters sit on the lookout blocks and get no birdsmouth.

Side wall studs. Each side wall has 10 studs under a sloped top plate, and both walls use the same 10 lengths. Every length is the long point, from the top of the bottom plate to the underside of the sloped plate. The left wall, listed from the back corner, runs 6′ 5 3/8″, 6′ 8 1/4″, 7′ 0 1/4″, 7′ 4 1/4″, 7′ 8 1/4″, 8′ 0 1/4″, 8′ 4 1/4″, 8′ 8 1/4″, 9′ 0 1/4″ and 9′ 3 1/4″. The right wall is listed from the front corner and runs the same lengths in reverse, from 9′ 3 1/4″ down to 6′ 5 3/8″.

The steps are 4 in except at the ends: 2 7/8 in at the short end and 3 in at the tall end. The 16 in layout starts from a different corner on each wall, so mark every stud with its wall and position as you cut it. Cut the top of each stud at the roof angle (3 on a speed square, about 14 degrees) and check the first one against the plate before cutting the rest.

Headers. The 60 in door gets a doubled 2×8 header with a 1/2 in plywood filler on 6′ 4 1/2″ trimmers. The front wall is tall, so the three cripples above the header are 2′ 2 7/8″, far longer than on a gable shed. The back window header is a doubled 2×6 on 5′ 10″ trimmers, and it fills the space right up to the plates, so there are no cripples above it. Below the window go a 3′ 0″ sill and three 2′ 8 1/2″ cripples.

Plates. The front and back plates and cap plates run the full 16′ 0″. The side walls have a single sloped top plate, 11′ 9 1/4″, that runs between them, and the 4 twist straps tie the lean-to wall corners together.

Gable vs lean-to: what changes

The same 12×16 footprint run as a gable at 6/12 (94 1/2 in walls, ridge along the 16 ft side) uses the same floor; the walls and roof are where the lists split. Our 12×16 shed material list covers the gable version in full. Note that the gable run puts a window in each end wall, two in all, so some of its trim and header lumber comes from that.

Item Lean-to (3/12) Gable (6/12)
Rafters 13 2×6 at 13′ 10 1/4″ + 2 fly 26 2×4 at 7′ 6 3/8″ + 4 fly
Ridge board None 2×6, cut 16′ 8″
Rafter ties and collar ties None (no ridge, no outward thrust) 11 rafter ties + 6 collar ties
Wall studs 9′ 2 5/8″ front, 6′ 3 1/2″ back, stepped sides 7′ 6″ on all four walls
2×4 framing boards (plus 8 braces in both) 55 121
2×6 boards (not treated) 19 4
T1-11 sheets 16: six 4×10, two 4×9, eight 4×8 18, all 4×8
Roof OSB sheets 9 9
Shingle bundles 9 10
Felt 2 rolls, laid double 1 roll, single
Fascia 1×8 1×6
Soffit plywood 1 sheet 2 sheets
Framing nails 25 lb 36 lb
Windows 1 2
Extra hardware 4 twist straps 2 gable vents, 3 Z-flashing, a temporary ridge post
Floor (skids, joists, decking) 4, 13, 6 sheets 4, 13, 6 sheets

The lean-to saves 66 2x4s and needs no ridge, ties or gable triangles, but it buys 15 more plain 2x6s, a second roll of felt, and 8 of its 16 siding sheets are 4×10 or 4×9 instead of 4×8. A lean-to sends all its roof water off the back edge, so keep that side clear of fences and paths.

Where the waste goes

Buying by stock length means every cut leaves an offcut. Where the scraps come from, part by part:

  • Rafters: 13′ 10 1/4″ from a 14 ft 2×6 leaves only about 1 3/4 in. There is no room for a bad end, so pick straight boards with square, uncracked ends, and buy one spare if your yard’s stock is rough.
  • Back studs: two 6′ 3 1/2″ studs come out of each 14 ft 2×4, leaving about 17 in. The two door trimmers pair up in one more 14 ft board.
  • Front studs: 9′ 2 5/8″ from a 10 ft board leaves about 9 3/8 in each, good only for small blocks.
  • Side studs: the five shorter studs on each wall come from 8 ft boards and the five taller ones from 10 ft boards. The 8′ 0 1/4″ stud is just over 8 ft, which is why it needs a 10 ft board.
  • Sloped top plates: 11′ 9 1/4″ from a 12 ft board leaves about 2 3/4 in.
  • Floor joists: 11′ 9″ from a 12 ft board leaves 3 in for squaring the ends.
  • Fascia: each eave fascia is 16′ 8″, longer than a 16 ft board, so it is spliced from a 10 ft and an 8 ft 1×8, with about 16 in left over. Land the joint on a rafter tail. Each rake fascia leaves about 2 ft of a 16 ft board.
  • Brace stakes: the longest 2×4 offcut, from the 8′ 0 1/4″ stud, is about 23 3/4 in. Stakes that length work, or buy two 2×4 x 8 ft and cut four stakes from each.
  • No spares: the counts are exact. Add a few 2×4 x 8 ft if you expect to reject warped or split boards.

The longest boards on this list are 16 ft: skids, rims, wall plates and rake fascia. That is too long for most pickup beds, so ask the yard to deliver.

Common mistakes

  • Buying 4×8 siding for the front wall. The front wall alone is 115 1/8 in tall, close to 10 ft, so the front and part of each side take 4×10 or 4×9 T1-11 sheets. Check that your yard stocks them before you order.
  • Measuring side studs off the wrong end. The layout starts from the back corner on the left wall and the front corner on the right. Lay out both sloped plates first, then cut and number the studs wall by wall.
  • Single felt at 3/12. The list doubles the felt from 2/12 up to 4/12, which is why it has 2 rolls. Read the minimum slope on the shingle wrapper, and check your local permit office for the underlayment rule in your area.
  • One birdsmouth instead of two. Each rafter bears on both walls, so it needs a seat at the front and at the back. Mark both from the pattern rafter.
  • Raising the front wall alone. A 16 ft wall with 9 ft studs, a doubled 2×8 header and 4×10 siding is heavy and catches wind. It is the heaviest wall on this shed, so line up a helper and set the temporary braces before you let go.
  • Untreated wood near the ground. Skids, rims and joists are pressure treated, and lumber rated for ground contact is the safer pick for all three. The USDA Wood Handbook explains why wet, untreated wood decays. Use hot-dip galvanized nails and treated-lumber rated screws in treated wood.
  • Expecting roof vents on the list. This list has no vents; air moves only through the screened gaps at the eaves. If you plan to keep damp gear or a mower inside, consider adding vents high on the front wall.

Setbacks, ground anchors and whether a 192 sq ft shed needs a permit vary by town, so check your local permit office before you order. For how to read any list like this one, see our shed material list guide, and for the base under the skids, shed foundation options. For other sizes, try the shed material calculator.

Get the full plan

We do not sell a 12×16 lean-to plan yet. If you want a printed set for the same footprint, the 12×16 gable shed plan V1 (single door) and the 12×16 gable shed plan V2 (double door) are 3DSHEDPLANS PDFs with 3D drawings, cut details and their own printable material list.

For a single-slope roof, the 12×14 lean-to shed plan is the nearest size down and the 12×18 lean-to shed plan the nearest size up. The 14×16 lean-to shed plan adds 2 ft for more floor space. Download the free 12×18 lean-to preview PDF to see the format, or compare every size on the lean-to shed plans and shed plans pages.

Frequently asked questions

What is on the material list for a 12×16 lean-to shed?

For a 12×16 lean-to on skids with an 80 in back wall and a 3/12 roof, the list has 55 2×4 framing boards, 19 plain 2×6 boards (17 of them 14 ft rafter stock), 15 pressure-treated 2x6s, 4 pressure-treated 4×4 x 16 ft skids and one 2×8 for the door header.

What size rafters does a 12×16 lean-to shed need?

The list uses 2×6 rafters at 16 in on center, cut from 14 ft boards to 13' 10 1/4". They span 137 in against a 143 in limit at 30 psf ground snow, so there is little room to spare. If you get more snow than that, check your local permit office.

How many sheets of plywood, OSB and T1-11 for a 12×16 lean-to storage shed?

6 sheets of 3/4 in tongue and groove plywood for the floor, 9 sheets of 7/16 in OSB for the roof, 16 sheets of 5/8 in T1-11 (six 4×10, two 4×9, eight 4×8, including 2 for the door leaves) and 1 sheet of 1/2 in plywood for the soffit and header fillers.

How many bundles of shingles does a 12×16 lean-to roof take?

9 bundles of 3-tab shingles, including the starter course, for a 3/12 roof of about 229 sq ft with 8 in eaves and 4 in rakes. At 3/12 the felt goes on in a double layer, so the list has 2 rolls of 15 lb felt.

Is there a 12×16 lean-to shed material list PDF?

We do not sell a 12×16 lean-to plan yet, so this page is the list. The 3DSHEDPLANS 12×16 gable plan PDFs each have their own printable material list, and so do our lean-to plans in other sizes.

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